Café Mardi Gras – From New Orleans

By Sotong

Summertime = Festival Time here in Montreal. Before heading to Pont Jacques-Cartier to watch the International Fireworks Competition, I did some research on restos around the Gay Village area and guess what I found – this cosy resto which serves New Orleans food. We took some time browsing through the vast menu choices and here’s what we ordered!

Hushpuppies. No doubt they do look like the Middle Eastern Falafel but these balls are made of cornmeal instead of chickpeas and beans. Biting into these warm, slightly crispy balls served out from the deep fryer reminded me of chicken nuggets somehow. The creamy and slightly sour tartare saucewith chopped coriander goes well with the cornmeal. A great way to start the meal, I would say.

Pulled Beef Po’ boy Bread. This traditional Louisiana submarine sandwich packed with a generous portion of pulled beef had me figuring out how to fit a biteful inside my mouth. The baguette-like bread was crunchyon the outside but soft on the inside. The pulled beef was a little dry for my liking. I do like the side salad however. This combination of red pepper, corn, and celery had a creamy texture to it and could serve as a vegetable pie filling.

Shrimp Creole.Generous portion of gigantic and springy shrimps bathed in marinara sauce, served on rice. Those who adore spicy food can try adding hot sauce to it.

We didn’t manage to get desserts as we had to rush off to the fireworks competition. Despite the slow service (there was only one chef in the kitchen and it was a weekend night), the comfort food, homey and rustic, took to our liking.